An inverter-device built-in type electric compressor is disclosed, e.g. in FIG. 1 of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-183631. FIG. 1 of this document depicts an inverter-device mounted to an electric compressor along the center axis of the compressor.
Present FIG. 9 shows an example of a conventional inverter-device built-in type electric compressor. As shown in FIG. 9, container 3 accommodates compressing mechanism 4, motor 5 and other components for forming the electric compressor. Inverter housing 102 accommodates compressor terminal 106, circuit board 103 and other components for forming the inverter-device. Harness connector 107 is disposed on lid 102b for electrically connecting with an external device or circuit. Compressor terminal 106 is disposed for connecting with motor 5. The inverter-device is cooled by refrigerant 30 sucked in. (The reference signs used in the foregoing description are quoted from Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-183631.)
Another inverter-device built-in type electric compressor is disclosed in FIG. 1 of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-2755. This conventional instance includes a compressor terminal placed at an electric compressor side, and an inverter-device mounted along the center axis of the electric compressor.
Present FIG. 10 shows a second example of the conventional inverter-device built-in type electric compressor. As shown in FIG. 10, inverter-device 320 is mounted closely to electric compressor 340 so that inverter-device 320 can be cooled by the refrigerant of compressor 340. Terminals of compressor terminal 308 are directly soldered to printed circuit board 311 to achieve an electrical connection. Lead wires (harness) 336 are directed upward from inverter-device 320 to electrically connect with an external circuit.
The conventional example shown in FIG. 9 includes the inverter-device mounted along the center axis of the electric compressor, of which length along the center axis is thus obliged to be long. On top of that, harness connector 107 is disposed along the center axis, so that the length of the electric compressor is thus obliged to be even longer. Compressor terminal 106 and harness connector 107 are respectively disposed on opposite faces of housing 102 such that they are directed in opposite directions to each other. This structure lowers the work efficiency during the assembly and the inspection of the inverter-device because it is difficult to assemble the components or inspect them along one direction at the same time.
The conventional example shown in FIG. 10 includes lead-wires (harness) 336 directed upward and crossing the center axis of the compressor at right angles, so that the electric compressor does not need a long length along the center axis. However, inverter-device 320 is electrically connected with compressor 340 by soldering, so that compressor 340 must be brought into an assembly site or an inspection site of inverter-device 320. As a result, inverter-device 320 that is an electric device and compressor 340 that is a mechanical-device cannot be assembled or inspected independently and appropriately in an electric-device factory and a mechanical-device factory respectively. Inverter-device 320 and compressor 340 always come together, so that the work efficiency is lowered.
What is even worse, in the case of malfunction, it is difficult to identify which part of the inverter-device built-in type electric compressor is defective, namely, it is difficult for a user to ascertain whether the inverter-device is defective or the electric compressor is defective.